Chapter 43: Obscurus?
I don't know if anyone has ever raised a fox.
Students who have raised foxes probably know that the biggest problem with foxes is not only their solitary nature but also their love of digging holes.
The second and even the third floor of the castle were riddled with dense caves and secret passages. Alexander finally saw some real magic—what Kate had referred to as "the unnatural part."
Without magic, this castle would have collapsed long ago from all the modifications. The sheer amount of structural instability contradicted all known architecture.
Trigger-type expansion mechanisms that looked like Muggle devices were scattered almost everywhere.
The bats and spiders hid here during non-game time, and strangely, there was no odor. They must have been enchanted. If an ordinary wizard without a wand accidentally fell into one of these secret passages or traps, they might not get out for an entire day. It was truly a terrifying experience.
Kate was exhilarated, zipping through all the secret tunnels linking the second and third floors. While her body seemed endlessly energetic, Alexander's mind started to tire.
Especially his magic. He hadn't used any spells all morning, and that strange sense of repression was creeping in again.
Out of boredom, Alexander's mind began to wander.
Magic constantly restores itself. It's virtually infinite and often referred to as an Ouroboros in Smith's Alchemy Wall. Alexander had never paid attention before, but he realized now that he could sense the accumulation of magic far more acutely than the average wizard.
"Accumulation?"
"Suppression?"
Obscurus—a phenomenon resulting from a young wizard suppressing their magical power due to external factors. When magic builds up without release, it gives rise to a parasitic entity called an Obscurus.
Most Obscurials die before the age of ten, often due to fear, rejection by family, or societal oppression. Since magic stems from the soul, this suppression turns into a "dark force" that parasitizes and consumes.
Sometimes invisible, other times appearing as black, oily clouds or smoke-like forms—sometimes even with a red core—the Obscurus can burst out violently. It's been described as "a gust of black wind," "a black mass with gleaming white eyes," or even with a human-like face.
In the films, the Death Eaters' black smoke transformation probably originated from this concept. But in this world, only Voldemort and Snape (during Harry's seventh year) are known to use that form—not just anyone can perform such feats.
This destructive power, born of oppression, reflects another path outside typical magical thought.
The Obscurus and its host are two sides of the same coin—almost like a new magical species. Its size and power scale with both the host's magical capacity and their emotional turmoil.
Obscurials can levitate or destroy objects without touching them. But the presence of someone they trust can gradually calm them and even reverse the manifestation.
If an Obscurial dies, the Obscurus usually vanishes with them. But—Newt Scamander preserved the Obscurus that emerged from Credence Barebone's supposed death using a magical energy field.
Then a wild thought struck Alexander.
What about Harry Potter? How could someone like Dumbledore, who oversaw Harry's upbringing, not recognize signs of an Obscurus?
Harry's aunt and uncle hated magic. While they didn't outright harm him physically, they used cold neglect and forced normalcy to drive out his magic.
When Harry's Hogwarts letter arrived, Uncle Vernon showed just how far he'd go to keep Harry from the magical world—even relocating to an isolated island during a storm. Their fear and repression were extreme.
Yet, despite eleven years of suppression, Harry never became an Obscurial.
Why?
Possibly because of Lily Evans' powerful love-based protection. That magic may have protected Harry's soul from becoming parasitized. But the repressed magic didn't just disappear—it likely increased Harry's magical potential.
That would explain how he could cast a corporeal Patronus in third year—a feat few adults could perform.
And then there's Newt Scamander, Dumbledore's prized student—the one even Grindelwald was wary of. If Newt preserved an Obscurus, Dumbledore would absolutely have studied it. Especially since Credence Barebone may have been Dumbledore's blood relative.
Even Mrs. Figg, Harry's neighbor, was a squib and secretly Dumbledore's informant.
It all adds up. Dumbledore hadn't ignored Harry. Instead, he nurtured him in the exact kind of controlled environment that could suppress the rise of an Obscurus while allowing immense potential to grow.
Alexander felt the puzzle pieces clicking into place. Dumbledore's genius wasn't just magical; it was psychological warfare.
The old man's name even meant bumblebee in ancient English—and he had a notorious sweet tooth.
The more Alexander thought about it, the more he realized: Dumbledore was no kindly grandfather. He was a master strategist. Compared to him, Voldemort—insane and reckless—was doomed from the start.
In pure power, Voldemort may have been strong, but Dumbledore's tactical precision and high emotional control made him the deadlier of the two.
If Dumbledore had been willing to make Horcruxes—or had he been younger—it wouldn't have even been close. Voldemort would've been crushed.
Voldemort was like a rat caught on a glue trap. The only reason he lasted as long as he did was because Dumbledore refused to abandon his ethics.
If he had, the war would've ended in less than a year.
In truth, when Dumbledore chose to die, it might have been because he saw no better path—not that he lacked the power to win.
The greatest white wizard in history… was never simple.
-----------------------------------------------------------
If you like the story please give it some power stones and reviews. And if you want to read 30 advance chapters or just want to support me please join my patreon at patreon.com/Translatingfanfics